Goal: Demand county judge resign after making a racist suggestion on Facebook that a black suspect be served justice with “a tree and a rope.”

A county judge in Texas is facing public backlash after he essentially suggested a black suspect be lynched for a crime. A judge with immense power in the community should know better than to say something so racist, but Burnet County Judge James Oakley instead showed he is not fit to serve. Demand he resign for making this racist comment.

Judge James Oakley wrote “Time for a tree and a rope,” on a post about a black suspect on the San Antonio Police Department’s Facebook page. The black man was a suspect in a case regarding the death of a local police officer. This judge should not be making death penalty suggestions for a case that has not concluded with a verdict and this suggestion was extremely racist.

After the public criticism, Judge Oakley apologized and said his words were “unfortunate” but denied that his suggestion was racist. He blamed it on “…watch[ing] too many Westerns when [he] was little.”

This is a weak excuse for blatant racism. Judge Oakley cannot serve as a judge when he is such a poor judge of his own character. Demand he relinquish his power as judge by stepping down for his racist words.

PETITION LETTER:

Dear Judge Oakley,

As you know, there has been a public backlash over your racist suggestion that it’s “Time for a tree and a rope,” for a black suspect in a case involving the death of a police officer. While this is obviously an emotionally charged case, there is zero excuse for using such ignorant and blatantly racist words.

Whether or not you’re actually racist is irrelevant at this point because you’ve shown that you don’t know how to use proper judgement with your words. I demand you resign as judge for making such a racist suggestion.

Sincerely,

[Your Name Here]

Photo credit: Global Panorama

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also, he didn’t actually use the word lynch. there were many whites hung in the days of that type of punishment. the word lynch was used in regards to whites. it is not a racist punishment. people just want to make everything racist.